Picture-frame stabilizer.



G. X. HICKERSON & G. C. HEMENWAY PICTURE FRAME STABILIZER.

Patented Mar. 28

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I6. 1915 WITNEssEs GEORGE x. HIO'KERsON, or BROOKLYN, AND vGEORGE O. HRMRNWAY, or NRW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNORs "ro HAMRDRN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

, PICTURE-FRAME STABILIZER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented MMI'. 2%, 19116.,

Application led March 16, 1915. Serial N0. 14,792.

To all whom z't may concern Be it known that We, GEORGE X. HICKER- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State'of NewYork, and GEORGE C. HEMEN- WAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at, New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture-Frame Stabilizers; and we do hereby `declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention has reference, generally, to a picture-frame stabilizer; and the invention relates, more particularly, to a simple device for attachment to pictureframes and the like adapted to `fixe the same, when suspended or hung upon a'wall, in a true straight position and maintain the same against swinging or movingout of such straight position.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a very simple, cheap, easily made andy easily applied device of the kind and for the purposes above-mentioned, and

which provides a novel and efficient picture-frame stabilizer.

Another object of the present invention is tp provide a construction of picture-frame stabilizer which. possesses a requisite degree of resiliency sufficient to Aaccomplish a shock absorbing effect when the same is in use, so that jars, tremors or vibrations of the wall or picture-frame will not tend to disconnect the novel stabilizer from its opera tive relation either to the wall or pictureframe.

Other objects of the present invention, not at thistime more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following'detailed description of the same.

Withthe various objects of the present invention in view, the same consists,- primarily,

stabilizer hereinafter set forth; and the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, aswell as in the dey tails of the construction of the same, all of L of said specification.

reference being had 'to the accompanying in the novel construction of picture-frame which will be'more fully described in detail `1n the following specification, and then finally embodied in the claims which are appendcd to and which form an essential part The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which z- Figure l represents a suspended -picture and frame, thelatter being equipped with the novel picture-frame'stabilizer made ac- 65 cordmg to and embodying the principles of the presi-nt invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertlcal cross section of the same, taken on llne 2-2 in said Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is -a detail face view of the novel picture-frame stabi-` lizer; Fig 4 is an edge view of the same; and F 1g. 5 is a vertical cross section of the same, taken on line 5- 5 in said Fig. 3. Fig.

6 is a detail face view of a slightly modified construction ofthe novel picture-frame stabilizer; and Fig. 7 is avertica'l cross-section vof the same, taken on line 7-7 in ,said Fig.

6. Fig. 8l is another slightly modified construction Of ythe -novel picture-frame stabilizer. l 80 Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings,the reference character l indicates a picture and picture-frame, suspended by 'a supporting Wire 2 lor any other suitable supporting means, from a wallhook 3 'connected with the wall 4.

The reference character 5 indicates the 90 complete picture-frame stabilizer made according to and embodying the princi les of the present invention, the same pre erably comprising a main-body consisting of a pair of disk-like elements 6 and 7 connected to 95 gether' by a neck-piece 8. Said main-body is adapted to be folded over at its neckpiece or' doubled back upon itself so that the respective disk-,like elements 6 and l7 are I alined one with the other, and preferably 'separated one from the other by a'slight intervening space 9. Preferably struckup out Ofsaid disk-likeelement 6, so as to be integrally formed in connection therewith,- is an outwardly extending Ypin-shank ,10, sharpened at its free end to provide a piercing-point 11,; and, in-like manner, preferably struck up out of said disk-like element 7, so as to be integrally. formed in connection` therewith, is an'outwardly ex- 11u 40 interposed between the wall 4 and the lower tending pin-shank 12, sharpened at its free end to provide a piercing-point 13. While it is preferable to form said respective pin- [Shanks 1Q and 12 integrally with said main K body'c-ry its disk-like elements, it must be understood that the same may be forined'of *separate piecesV and secured to said main- I arranged as. f'ollowsz-One of the pin-` shanks, as for example the pin-shank 10, 1s forced into the back of the picture-frame 1 at its lo-wer end, and in a location substanbody or its disk-like elements inl any suitable manner, or by any suitable means.' A In applying the novel construction of picture-frame stabilizer to its use, the same is tially midway between the side ends of the picture-frame, the pin-shank 10 being buried in the picture-frame until the disklike element 6, from which .said pin-shank 10 projects, rests against the picture-frame..-

'Ihe picture-frame 1 is then suspended from the wall-hook 3 byits supporting wire 2, l or other supporting device, and ad]usted so that the same hangs in proper straight alinement on the wall 4. Then by pressing the lower vend of the picture-frame 1 toward the. vwall 4, the oppositely extending pin-shank 12 which proJects from the disklike element 7 is thereby forced into the'- wall 4 until said disk-like element 7 rests against the said wall. Inthis manner the lower end of the picture-frame 1 is secured to the wall and thus fixed against lateral "swaying or swinging out of itsv proper straight alinement on the wall.

Vsaine through said space.

The use and application of-thenovel stabilizer does not prevent or interfere with any desired forward tilting ofthe upperend of the picture-frame 1. It will also be apparent that the main-body of the stabilizer, being edge of the picture-frame 1, thereby maintains the latter spaced slightly away from the former so that dust collecting on the.

`tendency of the picture-frame, due to vibraltion in thevalls of the building, wind, or other causes, are absorbedby the resiliency of the stabilizer so that any tendency of the pin-Shanks to loosen their hold, either in the 'wall 4 or picture-framey 1 is counteracted and eliminated.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and -7 of the accompanying drawings. we have illustrated therein va. slightly modified construction of lelements 14 'and 15.

lcompanying drawings.

cording to and embodying the principles of our present invention. ,In this modified spaced apa-rt disk-like elements 14 and' 15, from which Yproject'respectively in opposite directions the sharpened piii-shanks 16 andv 17. Interposed between said disk-like elements 14 and 15 is a resilient-pad 18, prefeiably made' of felt, or any'other suitable 'the novel'picture-frame `stabilizer' made aci .construction we provide the alined andl material providing the-requisite degree of resiliency. A suitable marginal beading 19',

surroundsv and over-laps the respective inarginal edges of saiddisk-like elements 14 and 15, so as tosecure said resilient-pad against accidental removal frcm-y operative position between said, disk-like elements. The disklike elements 14 and 15 may be joined together at a portion of their respective peripheries by the integral neck-pieceS, but

if desired said`"neck`-piece 8 may be omitted, as shown in Fig. .8of the drawings, since the pad retaining beading 19 will serve not g only to hold said resilient-pad 18.agfainst removal, but also to maintain said disk-like elements in proper assembled and registered relation one with the'other. 'The manner -of applying a-iid. using this modified construction of picture-frame stabilizer is the same as already above-described. The resilient-pad 1S acts as a buffer or shock-absorber against vibrations ofthe wall or picture which are transmitted to the disk-like struction of stabilizer is particularly useful 1n ,connection with very heavy picture- This modified conframes, the weightof which would tend to close ltogether and so maintain the disk-like elements if no interfering buffer were "used, so that the resilient effect of the same would be thus impaired. l

In the case lof a large picture-frame, instead of securing one stabilizer thereto in the manner and location shown, and'above described, one may be yplaced at each 'lower outer corner of the picture-frame.

A It` will .be readily` understood from the' abovey .description that our present inveiition provides a very-handy,nconvenient andv easily applied picture-frame stabilizer of simple and cheap construction, and .of eft. cient operation.

We are aware that some changes may be made in the arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and shown in the acllence, we do not limit our invention to the exact ari-angements and combinations of the parts as described in`the foregoing specification and as illustrated. 1n the .accompanying drawings, iior do we confine ourselves to the exllO parts.

e memo@ act details of the construction of the lsaidp lVeclaim-" j 1.A picture-frame stabilizer comprising a main body consisting of a pair of disk-like elements, a comparatively narrowfneck-'piece by means of which said disk-like elements are joined together, said main-body being doubled over at its neck-piece to aline said disklike elements one with the other, and a sharpened pin-shankextending outwardly 4from each disk-like element.

2. A picture-frame stabilizer comprising a pair of alined disk-like elements and 4 spaced slightly apart, each disk-like element having an outwardly' projecting sharpened pin-shank, a resilient pad inserted-between said disk-like elements, and means for re- 3. A picture-frame stabilizerl Acomprising a main-body doubled vupon itself to provide a pair of connected disk-like elements capable of a resilient movement towardY and away from each other,and l'sharpened/pintaining said resilient pad in such connection.

pen

Shanks extending outwardly from each" diskl 

